Thursday Start Lists: No Phelps in 100 Free Prelims

The startlists are up on OmegaTiming.com, and we’ve got breaking news: Michael Phelps will not swim the 100 free on Thursday.

This is a huge surprise; though he’s got a big day of finals on Thursday evening with the 200 fly, based on 2008 there was a big expectation that he would at least swim this 100 free in the preliminary rounds. The question is if he received some sort of assurances that he would be on the relay even without swimming the 100 free individually.

The rest of the top 30 seeds in the men’s 100 free remain intact.

Other notable scratches include Dana Vollmer out of the women’s 200 fly (which is not a big surprise – this was a pretty obvious backup event). In the men’s 200 breaststroke final, the entire top 30 is expected to race, including Josh Prenot who’s been battling a case of Strep this week.

It should be another quick session.

Full Heat Sheet from USA Swimming.

Men’s 100 free prelims.
Women’s 200 fly prelims.
Men’s 200 breast prelims.

 

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aswimfan
11 years ago

Actually some swimmers already have incredible back half:
Sun Yang and Magnussen.

aswimfan
Reply to  aswimfan
11 years ago

Sun Yang’s last split in 1,500 m (Shanghai) is actually faster than Phelps’ last split in 200 m in the same event. In fact, Sun Yang’s last split is faster than Phelps’ last split when he broke 200 WR in 2007!

Magnussen’s back half in all his fastest 100 are actually faster than any 100 free (textile) that Phelps has ever swum.

Tom
11 years ago

I really don’t think anyone should be on a relay if they don’t swim at least prelims at trials. one of the reasons i’ve heard for trials being so close to olympics is to give a better indication of where you are time wise, not going on what was done months ago…

don
Reply to  Tom
11 years ago

Yea, I agree. Everyone (including me) had picked PVK to be on the 4×200 and he looks to be struggling right now. You got 4 guys within .3 of each other, and just a tenth or two off PVK’s best (post 2009) 200 time. I realize that Phelps and Lochte are in another league but it just doesn’t seem kosher to give them a bye and you cant always judge by what you did in the past.
Having said that, I have no doubt that either of them could crank a fast prelim time.

don
11 years ago

Really looking forward to seeing Greevers in the 100free today. Also hoping Dave Walters has a better swim.

aswimfan
Reply to  don
11 years ago

If his improvement in 100 back translates to 100 free, Grevers should go 48low at least, in the semis or final.

bobo gigi
11 years ago

Very good choice for Michael. He has nothing to prove in the 100 free. He’s in the relay. With him USA can finish second behind Australia, without him USA will finish fourth.
And yes he’s older than in 2008. Yes it seems that some people here didn’t know that. That’s why for me he can’t swim as many times as he did it when he was younger. And yes the 100 fly will be a very hard event for him. He’s by far the best in the 100 fly but he’ll have against him guys who will be there just for that race and who will be fresh. Yes Michael wants to make history in the 400 IM but… Read more »

aswimfan
Reply to  bobo gigi
11 years ago

Bobo Gigi,

I actually agree with your analyses, and if I were Phelps I would also have taken fewer events.

But taking the conservative way is not Michael Phelps.
That’s what makes him different.
That’s what makes him great. And he took 8 events in Athens and Beijing to beat Spitz. What swimmer with “normal” mind taking 8 events in the olympics?
Being ultra competitive is in his nature.

11 years ago

Lochte in the 100 free, should be interesting…

Kevin
11 years ago

I still think Phelps is in as good of shape as he was in ’08. I know he took all that time off after Beijing, and doubt Bowman meaning that phelps was at a 2 ouf 10 shape wise in 2011. If that was the case there would be know way he could have gone a personal best in the 200 I’m

The question for this meet is where Phelps is in his taper. Is he more, less, equally as tapered for this trials as he was for omaha in ’08? His twitter feeds right after the Austen invite said “taper time”- so I’m not sure. I think the reason for him showing fatigue in that 200 fly is a… Read more »

Chris
Reply to  Kevin
11 years ago

In 08 he only wore a body suit for the 200 free.

Joyce
Reply to  Kevin
11 years ago

I believe he will swim 400 IM in London. As for 200 Back, he’ll scratch it in trials.

aswimfan
Reply to  Joyce
11 years ago

Joyce,

I agree with you.
He will most definitely swim 400 IM in London.

It is just unbelievable how there are still people who predict he won’t swim 400 IM in London, even after Phelps already swam and qualified and he and Bowman specifically said he WILL swim the 400 IM in London.

Make no mistake, Phelps will pour out everything he has in the next month for that first event in London.

I have been saying about this all along since the London schedule was published.

Ole 99
Reply to  aswimfan
11 years ago

Agreed. Phelps wants that 400 IM gold medal. If he wins, he becomes the first man to ever with the same event in three consecutive olympics. If he doesn’t win, it likely means the honor will go to Kitajima in the 100 breast. Trust me, Phelps does not want Kitajima to get that acccolade before him.

Reply to  Kevin
11 years ago

I agree with you, Phelps is in great shape. People need to remember that they came here pretty much straight from altitude. In my experiences, the window of where the effects of that really aren’t evident until around 3-4 weeks after that, so I think he is definitely still in a “taper/recovery” phase (I’m just guessing based on athletes I have had with that).

I think we will see a much better MP in London, and I am hoping to see some of the best swimming ever!

aswimfan
11 years ago

Mel Stewart predicted that Michael Phelps would swim 47.5 in Omaha.

Chris
Reply to  aswimfan
11 years ago

If he’s really just rested as much as he was for the mid-season meets and he really hits his taper, then based on the 48.49, I could see him at 47.5 at London.

aswimfan
Reply to  Chris
11 years ago

I think Phelps is capable of 47.5, but now that he is training also for 400 IM, I don’t think he will go 47.5 in London.

We will see who’s right.

aswimfan
Reply to  Chris
11 years ago

Also, Mel Stewart specifically mentioned his 100 free prediction for “Omaha”, not “London”

Keith
Reply to  aswimfan
11 years ago

Hey now cut him some slack, he won a gold medal for the butterfly not swimming predictions.

aswimfan
Reply to  Keith
11 years ago

I am actually admiring Mel Stewart for his swimming achievements.

blee
11 years ago

Phelps is clearly not at his best at this meet, so even if he swam the 100 prelims tomorrow, he’d probably be around 48.6-48.8. He’d probably swim decently, but not fast enough to make a statement that he absolutely deserves a spot on the 4×100 free relay.

My guess is that he will swim a time trial at a training camp to prove that he belongs on the 4×100 free relay. Whatever the method, it’s hard to see Phelps being left off the event because he’s been such a critical part of the relay for almost 8 years.

Justin Thompson
Reply to  blee
11 years ago

That 48.49 he swam earlier this year is good enough to put him on that relay team. Remember in 04 when Gary Hall was crying about Phelps not swimming the 100FR at trials, but they put him on the team based on a time he did in January? Also, BLEE is correct the way he’s swimming now doesn’t appear to be a full taper and he probably wouldn’t be much faster than that.

Kevin
Reply to  Justin Thompson
11 years ago

He’ll be on the relay don’t worry guys, Bowman and Greg Troy talked about this beforhand I’m sure. I’ll bet he was originally planning on swimming an all out effort in prelims tomorrow, but after it looked like he just died on that 200 fly, I’ll bet Bowman was a bit in panic mode.

I think Bowman is a tad bit concerned for his finals in the 2 fly tomorrow night, but more so for his 100 fly the last race. He’ll only get more tired from here on out and he’ll need as much energy and pop as he can possibly have in a short event like that against a hungry field. I’m a little worried myself.

Rafael
Reply to  Kevin
11 years ago

If he can go 50 high.. is gold.. is he goes 51 low… it will be tought.. But I Think matsuda on 200 fly can be a bigger threat to Phelps if he does not swim all he can.

Jen
Reply to  Kevin
11 years ago

In Garrett’s interview with Bowman last week, Bowman stated that he believed Phelps “already has a spot on the relay” on the strength of a 48.4 he swam earlier this year (see http://swimswam.com/2012/06/exclusive-interview-with-bob-bowman/ – at 5:20).

liquidassets
Reply to  Justin Thompson
11 years ago

True, although Phelps only split 48.8 on that relay, slower than Hall Jr. swam in the prelims (though they likely would have only got the bronze anyway). But I agree that the 48.49 in season should be good enough, except in the unlikely event that 4 guys go alot faster than that, which I think is unlikely, but then he could time trial it. Though if so, I think they should time trial it during this week to simulate how tired and stressed he’ll be at the Olympics.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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